


Convalescence

by Lailyn



Series: Now That's What I Call Magic! [7]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Established Relationship, Fluff, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Romance, quarantine fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23520952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lailyn/pseuds/Lailyn
Summary: Loki's catastrophic thinking gets the better of him. Stephen tries to help.
Relationships: Loki/Stephen Strange
Series: Now That's What I Call Magic! [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1581754
Comments: 10
Kudos: 85





	Convalescence

“You awake?”

Stephen grunted idly in response, lightly squeezing the fingers playing on his chest. He had lost count of how many nights they had spent in each other’s company, forced into cohabitation despite their conjugal status since the lockdown order; Loki could have gone back to Asgard whenever he wanted of course, but he had been loath to leave Stephen alone since his bout of illness a week ago.

“Do you ever regret it? Marrying me?” was Loki’s opening statement that cold winter’s night.

Stephen’s knee-jerk response was to say something snarky, something jesting in nature, but the way Loki felt in his arms tonight begged him to exercise the utmost caution

“My only regret…” he felt Loki stiffen further in his arms, and Stephen pulled his husband in closer, “- is not having done it sooner.”

Loki reciprocated by kissing Stephen gently on the cheek but said nothing.

Loki still had these melancholic bouts of self-doubt every once in a while, but while they were thankfully few and far between, Stephen still found himself second-guessing the appropriate approach to soothe his overthinker of a partner.

“Something on your mind?” Stephen asked quietly.

“Just something I read on the news today,” Loki said vaguely. “They were saying that lawyers are expecting a rise in divorces after this self-isolation is over.”

Stephen blinked. “That’s…concerning.”

“You think it’s true?” Loki said, alarmed. “I had no idea this virus was that dangerous.”

“It has nothing to do with the virus, that’s why. For most, it brings people closer. And for some…well,” Stephen hesitated, looking for the right words, “They get bored.”

“Bored enough to leave?”

“People have left over much less,” Stephen said simply. “Humans are very fickle beings.”

“What about you?” Loki asked glumly.

Stephen frowned. “What about me?”

“Will you eventually get bored of me too?”

“Hmm…” Stephen played with the ends of Loki’s curls. “That’s a good question.”

Loki stiffened.

A creature of many faces, Loki's perpetual aloofness and flawless outer facade masked turbulent inner turmoil Stephen had spent countless hours trying to unravel; with his defenses down, Stephen could read Loki like a book, and right now, Loki was on the verge of running.

Finally taking pity on his husband, Stephen said firmly, “That is an impossibility.”

The air stilled.

“I have never met anyone who excites me more than you do.”

Loki’s chin wobbled, and Stephen stilled it with the tip of a finger.

“Who drives me crazy as much as you.”

Stephen searched for Loki’s lips in the dark, and soothed him with a soft, gentle kiss,

“Whose life means as much to me as yours…” – and a whisper – “More than my own.”

Loki grabbed Stephen’s face and began plastering kisses all over his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, and Stephen could not help but laugh.

Gently, he prised Loki’s hands off the sides of his face. “They can lock the city down as long as they want.”

Stephen kissed the tips of Loki’s fingers. “As long as they lock me in it with _you_.”

Once they were both too breathless from kissing,

“They’re also predicting the same rise in the number of babies being born at the end of this year.” Mischievous Loki was back.

“Are they.” Eyebrows rising to meet his hairline, Stephen fought to tame the galloping of his heart, but neither the hands pushing him onto his back, nor the long gazelle legs straddling his waist – “How _exciting_.

**Author's Note:**

> Here is yet another simple offering in these times of uncertainty (even if it's a slightly longer version than the one I've posted on Tumblr) coz when the craving comes you just have to write, you just have to do something to hang on to that last semblance of normalcy. Thank you for all the kudos and comments guys. ❤️


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